


The Cherry on Top

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Starting Over [44]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-09
Updated: 2014-02-09
Packaged: 2018-01-11 16:41:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1175384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I'm sure by this time next week, while I won't be fit as a fiddle I also won't feel like someone went through my torso with a spork.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cherry on Top

**Author's Note:**

> I really want canon to take this ship further, I want them to commit to each other forever. Canon is dragging its feet in the mud so I thought I’d just push it a bit further.

“Are you alright?” Beth asked, handing him the small Tupperware bowl of fruit.

“I'm fine, I promise. It’s a great day; I'm not ready to go back yet.”

“Me neither.”

“We’ll stay a while longer.” Hotch said as he ate apples and grapes. “Jack is having a good time.”

Jack was a few feet away, kicking around a soccer ball with a little girl. She lived in their building and Hotch was almost sure that her name was Kalina. He remembered her because she had a head full of curly brown hair.

“One day Jack asked if he could pull it.” Hotch said.

“He wanted to pull her hair?” Beth looked at him.

“It was curly so he thought it would bounce back into place just like it does on cartoons. She said yes but that he could only do it once. They’ve been little buddies ever since. She's a big soccer fan. Her mom also takes her to gymnastics class.” 

“I miss those days.” She smiled. “Just being a kid, carefree, throwing balls or riding bikes. No cares in the world because adults took care of all the hard stuff. Everyday was a new adventure where you could dig all the way to China or take a rocket ship to the moon.”

“You were a very interesting little girl.” Hotch said.

“I was the little weirdo kid…at least that’s what my brother’s friends said. I used to crawl under the coffee table in the living room, pretending it was my own personal starship. I was the captain and our dog, Boomer, was my first mate. I was 6 or 7 then. One summer I took a whole bunch of apple seeds and planted them in the backyard. I watered them, nurtured them, and talked to them just like my mom did with her plants. I literally cried when my dad broke it to me they would never grow into huge apple trees.”

“There was a chestnut tree in my grandparents’ yard when I was a kid.”

“I don’t think I've ever eaten a chestnut in my life.”

“Oh Beth, you're missing something amazing. Fresh off the tree they’re delicious but roasted…it’s a feast. I used to stuff myself on them as a little boy. My mother overindulged me.”

“Why does that not surprise me?” She smirked.

“Ha ha.” Hotch pointed at her. “I don’t really remember being carefree but there are a few good memories up here. I get to watch Jack now…there's always pleasure in that.”

“Children aren't the only ones who can be carefree, though they are the best at it. When I'm with Jack I always think I have more energy than I actually do. Later when I remember being old, I'm still grateful for the time.”

“I wish I could get up and run with him right now.”

“Are you sure you're alright?” she asked. 

“I'm good. Believe me I'm hopped up on enough Motrin to almost feel comfortable. I'm sure by this time next week, while I won't be fit as a fiddle I also won't feel like someone went through my torso with a spork.”

“Colorful.” Beth made a face. She took the Tupperware bowl when he handed it back, munching on strawberries.

“I called the doctor this morning while you and Jack finished breakfast. I'm going to take another week to rest, and then go to see them to assess where I'm at.”

“OK.”

“Work is important to me but my health is too. Just because I have difficulty sitting still doesn’t mean that I want to do something that could really hurt me in the end.”

“I think another week of rest is a good plan.” She said.

“You sound…”

“What?”

“I don't know,” Hotch shook his head. “Nevermind.”

“What you want to do and what you need to do can provide five different solutions for the same problem.” Beth said. “It can also create three to six new problems.”

“I agree with that 150%.” He was looking at Jack and Kalina play. Soccer had apparently turned into an elaborate game of tag complete with fake sword fighting. “Not too rough Jack, OK?”

The eight year old gave the thumbs up and continued to run around with energy his father could only envy. At least he would be nice and exhausted for bed tonight. Though between the injuries and the standoff, intimate time with Beth was nil. Hotch shouldn’t have been thinking with his dick anyway though loving Beth curled around him naked never diminished the other million and five reasons he loved her.

“I called my boss last night while I was taking my breather.” Beth said. 

“You never told me where you were for all that time. I was really worried about you. I wanted to run after you but I couldn’t. I literally couldn’t, and that was the only thing that stopped me.”

“I walked for a while, got in my car and cried for a while, and then I called Noah and asked him to meet me at the Pancake House. It was one of the few places in Alexandria opened at that hour that didn’t serve liquor. The last thing I needed was cocktails. While I waited for him there I called my boss. 

“I told her that I needed to stay in town another week. I apologized but made it clear that helping you recover from this surgery was of the utmost importance to me. She understood. It’s not quite convenient but it’s doable…we have a great team.”

“I never meant to make you cry.” Hotch shook his head.

“Well you did, and I did, but I'm not crying right now.”

“I don’t want you making those kinds of sacrifices where your job is concerned. I know how much it means to you. I know what you already gave up to take it.”

“Shut up.” She said the words gently but still meant them.

Hotch nodded. He wanted to say something but more often than not he put his foot in his mouth. He wanted to express happiness that she was going to stay with him. Still, Hotch worried he'd get used to having Beth around when that wasn’t the case right now. It was nice not having to do it all on his own; be a dad, a patient, an FBI agent, and anything else he could squeeze into the rest of the hours of the day. 

But if Beth lost all that she worked so hard for because of him, Hotch would never be able to forgive himself. He needed to get to a better place, where he could see things for the good and not the bad. Right now he wasn’t sure how to get there. When Beth kissed his cheek, putting her head on his shoulder he managed a smile anyway.

“You're my man.” She said. “I don’t mind making sacrifices for you. It’s not as if we’re shacking up in Alexandria for a few weeks. Getting you back on your feet is important.”

“Thank you.” Hotch kissed her forehead. He put his arm around her shoulder. “I love you.”

“Love you too.” Beth smiled. “I love you so much that I'm going to give in and get pizza and dumplings for dinner tonight.”

“Pizza _and_ dumplings?” he smiled. “Tonight will be awesome.”

“That’s the plan. No arguing, no worrying, just the three of us hanging out and enjoying ourselves. Knowing Jack it'll also involve a Pixar film or _Scooby Doo_.”

“I like _Scooby Doo_.”

“Me too.”

Now Kalina was trying to teach Jack to do two cartwheels in a row. He was a quick study though he fell on his butt more than once. Neither Beth nor Hotch stopped him; they liked watching him learn. He was laughing and bouncing back like a kid was supposed to. When the cartwheels ended the kids started doing tuck and rolls. Jack would jump up and cheer every time he got it right.

“I know it’s not the most romantic way to say it but, when you come back we should get married.” Hotch said. “No, we will get married…if you want to I mean.”

“I do.”

“You do?”

“I think we've had this conversation before.” Beth said. “I wanted to then and I want to now, Aaron. I want to be your wife and Jack’s stepmother. Romantic ways to say it be damned.”

“You're going to be more than that to him.” Hotch said. “And to me as well. I know right now we don’t know when we’re going to be living in the same town but we will eventually.”

“Sooner rather than later, I'm sure. No more pontification; we love each other and want to do this.”

“We need a ring.”

“And a house.”

“And a dress.”

“And a venue.” Beth said.

“And anything else your heart desires.” He said.

“I want you…that’s all I've wanted for a long time.” She looked at him. “Everything else I’ve already achieved on my own and I'm quite satisfied with the results. You're the cherry on top, Hotchner.”

“I've been called worse in my time.” Hotch smirked.

“And a baby.”

“Yep, I've been called a baby more than once.”

“No, I want to have a baby, Aaron.” Beth said. “Let’s give Jack a little brother or sister. He'd love it.”

“He wouldn’t be the only one. I know you’ve had some problems…”

“We can adopt. There are so many kids in the world who need love and I know we can give it to them.”

“We’re getting married.” Hotch whispered it.

“Not tonight. Tonight is about pizza and dumplings. We should probably get going; the temperature is going to drop soon. Jack! C'mon kiddo, we need to get ready to go soon.”

“Five more minutes!” he exclaimed.

“Just five.” His dad held up five fingers. He laughed as he looked at Beth. She was packing up their bag of snacks. “You want two of them?”

“Two, three; you know I'm flexible.”

“Oh, I do know.”

“Don’t be bad.” Beth playfully hit his arm.

“I like being bad with you.” Hotch leaned to whisper in her ear. “You're my cherry on top too, Beth. I've been up, down, down a little further, and then flat on my ass. You bring me to a better place. You are my better place.” He wrapped his arms around her from behind. Beth couldn’t help but snuggle against him. Hotch loved that feeling.

“Kiss her, Dad.” Jack came running over to the two of them on the bench, still waving to Kalina behind him. He ran right into Beth’s arms. She kissed the top of his head.

“I'm gonna kiss you instead.” Beth said. “How do you like them apples?”

“I like ‘em.” Jack grinned.

“Do you want pizza for dinner?” she asked him. Beth stood up from the bench and held Jack’s hand. Hotch put his arm around her as they made their way back to the car.

“Yeah!”

“What about some dumplings?” Hotch asked.

“Ooh yeah.” Jack nodded. “Can we watch _A Bug’s Life_ too, Dad?”

“Told you.” Beth glanced at Hotch.

“I think that’s a good idea, buddy. What do you think Beth?”

“Who could ask for anything more? I know I can't.”

***


End file.
